Rufus M. Jones.
Haverford, Pennsylvania
12th mo. 9th, 1912
ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS[ [5]
[PART I]
THE ESSENTIALS OF QUAKERISM
BY WILLIAM C. BRAITHWAITE
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
Introductory | [11] |
The early Quaker movement | [13] |
Its two great characteristics,—intense sincerityand the experience of the living presenceof Christ | [14] |
“Seekers” were especially receptive to the messageof George Fox | [14] |
Edward Burrough’s description of experience | [16] |
The heightened personality that came to the“Children of the Light” | [20] |
Quakerism a religion of the prophetic andapostolic type, in contrast with the priestlyand institutional type | [21] |
The Church should be a living fellowship ofdisciples at work for the Kingdom of God,plus Jesus Christ Himself, in whose Spiritthey become together “one flock, oneShepherd” | [23] |
[6]The vital nature of such a fellowship | [24] |
Our position not negative but positive | [25] |
Quakerism a “religion of life” | [25] |
The supreme question for the Church, How canwe foster life? | [26] |
Cheap substitutes for life | [29] |
A religion of life must devote itself to vitalprocesses and vital relations; chiefly, | |
Loyal discipleship | [30] |
Inspired leadership | [31] |
Warm fellowship | [33] |
Loving service | [35] |
Steady spiritual growth | [36] |
Methods and machinery, organization andChurch discipline have only a subordinatevalue to these prime factors of health | [37] |
The life must be allowed free expression; theform must be kept plastic | [38] |
The physiologist tells us that living matter isalways soft and jelly-like, permitting of thefree play of molecular interchanges | [38] |
Fit the clothes to the man, not the man to theclothes | [40] |
Expansion that comes where the Spirit of Godhas been allowed freely to work upon groupsof disciples without being limited by organizationand tradition, e. g. Foreign MissionaryWork, Adult School movement,Quakerism in Western States | [40] |
[7]Church-arrangements, important in themselves,should be regarded as machinery throughwhich the life can work,—the life of theindividual which we call personal responsibility,of the group, which we call fellowship,and above all the Divine vitality,which we call spiritual power and spiritualguidance | [41] |
Above conclusion illustrated from the way inwhich these vital forces come into play inthe various forms of Friends’ meetings | [42] |
The evangelistic service and its needs | [43] |
The meeting for worship, its great value and itsneeds | [44] |
The teaching meeting and its needs | [46] |
Quakerism, at its best, always the product of vitalforces and the producer of vital relations | [47] |
Its dependence upon the earnest seeking spirit | [48] |
Craving to-day for reality in religion and life | [49] |
Atmosphere of large-hearted charity andbrotherly confidence needed | [50] |
Quakerism, essentially, a religion of sincerity, answeredby the incoming of the living Christ | [51] |
Hopes confronting us to-day,—the craving aftertruth, the meaning and worth of personality,woman’s place in the world, the reign oflaw in international affairs, the regenerationof social conditions, the hope of Christfor the whole world | [52] |
[8]The Quaker Church called to be in the vanguardof progress with respect to all these | [53] |
Duty of personal witness for truth, based on aliving experience of it | [53] |
Conclusion | [54] |
[PART II]
THE CONTRIBUTION OF FRIENDS TO THE
LIFE AND WORK OF THE CHURCH
BY HENRY T. HODGKIN, M.A., M.B.